Radiator-overflow condenser



L. E. OP'IE. RADIATOR OVERF LOW CONDENSER. APPLICATION HLED APILZI, 1919.

1,375,413, Pafented Apr. 19, 1 921.-

LESLIE E. OPIE, OF CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA.

RADIATOR-OVERFLOW CONDENSER.

Specification oflLetters Patent; Patented Apr. 19, 1921,

Application filed April 21, 1919. Serial No. 291,515.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LESLIE E. OPIE, a citizen of.the United States, residing at Cedar Rapids, in the county of Linn and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Radiator- Overflow Condensers; and I do hereby'declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to means for conserving radiator water used in connection with motor vehicle engines, and is specifically. an improvement in devices of this nature described in my former application for Patent, No. 266,960%, filed Dec. 16, 1918.

The nature of the invention is fully disclosed in the description and claims follow.- ing, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which 2* Figure 1 is a front elevation of a device embodying mv invention as applied to an automobile radiator. Fig. 2 is 'acentral, vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a similar view, showing a modification in construction, the internal parts being reversed. In the drawing the numeral 5 denotes an automobile radiator from which dependsan overflow pipe 6. The filling nozzle 7 is provided with a cap 8, which should close the radiator tightly so that its contents can only escape through the overflow pipe. To this is connected, by a short section of hose 9, a condensing vessel 10, suitably mounted adjacent to the radiator. This also has a tightly closing cap 11, but pro vided with small air vent hole 12. Internally the vessel is divided .into two compartments, and the construction herein forms the principal feature of this invention.

In my former application, above referred to, a single, vertical partition formed the division wall between the two chambers of the vessel. In practice this proved unsatisfactory, owing to the diiflculty in .keeping the partition intact. The effect of the vibration was to speedily loosen thepartition and thus neutralize the effect of the division into two chambers. In my improved device the separation is made by the use of a conical partition 13, whose base may be flanged at 14 and'securably bound inplace in the head 15 forming the attachment of the bottom 16 of the vessel. The same is true of the preferred, inverted form shown in Fig. 3, in its attachment to the top of the vessel. From near the base to. near the apex of the cone extends a pipe 17 adapted to receive water from the primary chamber at its upper end and to discharge the same from its lower end into the secondary chamber. Connecting with the hose 9 is a curved piece of pipe 18 entering and opening into the primary chamber of the vessel, 19 in the one 7 case, and 19- in the other case.

The action of the condenser is as follows:

In the case of an engine radiator as usually operated, the radiator is filled to overflowing with water. As the water heats there is of course considerable overflow due to the natural expansion of the water, and this is wasted. As the heat increases steam is generated, and blown off into the air, increasing the vacant space in the radiator, and thus further facilitating'the generation of steam. By the use of the condenser the water forced out by expansion is caught, leaving the'radiator at all times practically full. When so full, with water in contact with all the internal walls there is less tendencyto steam, so that for the most part only hot water is forced over into the condenser.

When, however, steam is generated it is forced to pass into the cooling water-in the denser. When, by' the stoppage of the engine, a reduction in its speed, or otherwise, heating of the radlator water subsides, apartlal vacuum is created 1n the radiator,

' and the contents of the condenser are automatically sucked back, with a hardly appreciable loss.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A condenser for engine radiators, comprising in combination with the radiator and its overflow pipe, a vessel, divided by an internal cone into two chambers. a tubular connection of the overflow pipe with the primary chamber, a passageway for steam and water extending from near the top of the primary chamber to near the bottom'of theother chamber, andan air- 5 vent at the top of the vessel;

2. A condensing vessel for engine 'radiators, comprising an outer, cylindrical -receptaole, a cone flanged at its base, and said flange seated in the end-bead of the 10 vessel, a vented filling cap, a water-passage extending from near the base to near the apex of the cone, and opening through the cone at one end, and a section of tube entering the primary chamber of the vessel near thebottom, and adapted to connect with the overflow pipe of said radiator.

In testimony whereof -I-aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses. LESLIE E. OPIE.'

Witnesses: Y v

F. W. ARMSTRONG, J.'M.'ST. JoHN. 

